Describing Uniqueness: English Vocabulary List

unmatched in quality or excellence

"His skill is unrivaled."

"The museum has an unrivaled collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts and scholars come from all over the world to study them."

not familiar or used to a particular situation, environment, or activity

"I am unaccustomed to this."

"The city dweller was unaccustomed to the quiet of the countryside and she could not sleep because the silence was too loud."

uncommon or not customary

"He showed unwonted kindness."

"The normally shy child showed unwonted confidence during the school play and her parents were amazed by her performance on stage."

having distinctive or peculiar habits, behaviors, or features that are unusual but often appealing

"She has a quirky sense of humor."

"The artist has a quirky sense of humor and his paintings often include strange creatures doing unusual things in everyday situations."

unconventional or unusual, often in an interesting way

"He has an offbeat style."

"The comedian's offbeat jokes about everyday life made the audience laugh because nobody had ever thought about those things in that way before."

departing from established customs, norms, or expectations

"His behavior is deviant."

"The psychologist studied deviant behavior in adolescents and he found that family relationships played a crucial role in preventing antisocial actions."

strikingly unusual in a way that goes beyond the usual bounds of taste or style

"Her outfit is outre."

"The fashion designer's outre creations shocked the audience at the show but some critics praised her for pushing the boundaries of style."

not adhering to established traditions or norms

"He is nonconformist."

"The nonconformist artist refused to follow any of the traditional rules of painting and his work was rejected by many galleries."

not in accordance with established traditions or conventional practices

"Her methods are unorthodox."

"The teacher used unorthodox methods to help her students learn including games music and role playing and the results were excellent."

very common or typical

"It is a garden-variety cold."

"The doctor said it was just a garden-variety cold and that the patient should rest drink fluids and wait for it to pass."

not appropriate or attractive, often in a way that goes against accepted standards or social norms

"His behavior is unbecoming."

"The soldier's behavior was unbecoming of an officer and he was demoted for acting in a way that brought shame to his unit."